Best Winter Squash Leek And Farro Gratin With Feta And Mint Recipes

facebook share image   twitter share image   pinterest share image   E-Mail share image

WINTER SQUASH, LEEK AND FARRO GRATIN WITH FETA AND MINT



Winter Squash, Leek and Farro Gratin With Feta and Mint image

A delicious, and simple, winter squash gratin. This tastes like the filling of many Greek winter squash pies I have made, but it is a simpler dish. The squash is roasted, which gives it great depth of flavor. I love the sweetness of the squash against the salty feta, and the chewy farro against the tender squash. Most of the elements for this gratin can be prepared ahead if you want to go about this piecemeal - farro freezes well and keeps for a few days in the refrigerator; roasted squash keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days as well.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     dinner, pastas, main course

Time 1h20m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 pounds winter squash, peeled and cut in small dice (about 1/2 inch)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound leeks (2 large), white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or 1 to 2 tablespoons dried mint (to taste)
3 eggs
3 ounces feta, crumbled
3/4 cup cooked faro

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 425 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish or gratin. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Place squash on baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss squash until evenly coated with oil. Place in oven and roast until tender and lightly colored, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Turn heat down to 375 degrees.
  • Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add leeks. Cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, another 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add squash and mint to pan and toss together. Remove from heat.
  • In a large bowl beat eggs. Add salt to taste (remembering that feta is very salty) and feta, and beat together until feta has broken up into eggs. Stir in squash and leek mixture and farro. Scrape into oiled baking dish. Drizzle remaining oil over top.
  • Bake 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from heat. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 325, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 41 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 688 milligrams, Sugar 8 grams, TransFat 0 grams

FARRO WITH ROASTED SQUASH, FETA AND MINT



Farro With Roasted Squash, Feta and Mint image

Falling somewhere between a grain bowl and a warm grain salad, this colorful dish is substantial enough to be a meatless main course, or it makes a hearty side dish to simple roasted meat or fish. You can use whatever kind of squash you like here, either peeled or unpeeled. Squash skin is perfectly edible; let anyone who objects cut theirs away at the table (though see if you can get them to try it first). If you don't have farro, you can substitute brown rice. Just increase the cooking time by about 20 minutes.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     dinner, lunch, weekday, weeknight, grains and rice, salads and dressings, vegetables, main course, side dish

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3 pounds winter squash, such as kabocha, carnival or butternut, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (leave the peels on or remove as desired)
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 1/2 cups farro
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, more to taste
2 garlic cloves, grated on a Microplane or minced
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more as needed
3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
Fresh mint or arugula leaves, or both

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare the squash: In a large bowl, mix together olive oil, sugar, cinnamon, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add squash and toss well to coat with the spiced oil. Lay the squash pieces out flat on one or two rimmed baking sheets.
  • Roast squash until the bottoms are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Carefully turn the pieces over and continue to roast until tender, another 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, make the farro: In a medium pot, bring the apple cider, 2 cups water and the salt to a simmer. Add farro and simmer until water is absorbed and the farro is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. If the liquid evaporates before the farro is done, add a little more water. Or, if there's still liquid in the pot when the farro is done, drain it.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic and pepper. Whisk in olive oil. Add farro and toss well, adding more oil or salt, or both, if needed.
  • To serve, spoon the farro on a platter and top with the squash, feta, mint or arugula, or both, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 511, UnsaturatedFat 21 grams, Carbohydrate 60 grams, Fat 28 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 11 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 888 milligrams, Sugar 16 grams

FARRO SALAD WITH BEETS, GREENS AND FETA



Farro Salad With Beets, Greens and Feta image

Farro is a sturdy grain that stands up well to formidable ingredients like beets, their greens and salty feta cheese. That hardiness and versatility, as well as its sweet, nutty flavor, have made farro a popular option for filling out a salad in order to create a main dish. If you're in doubt, sliced or shredded poached or roasted chicken would make a nice addition. Either way the farro absorbs color from the red beets, giving the dish a pinkish tint that only deepens as hours pass. (In fact, you can make the dish up to a day ahead. And it travels well, making it fine picnic fare.) Soak the grains for an hour before cooking, and be sure to cook until tender, or else the salad will be chewy.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories     weekday, main course, side dish

Time 1h10m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 medium or 3 small beets (any color) with greens, the beets roasted, the greens stemmed and washed in two changes of water
1 cup farro, soaked for one hour in water to cover and drained
Salt, preferably kosher salt, to taste
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced or pureed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (may substitute 1 to 2 tablespoons walnut oil for 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil)
1/2 cup broken walnut pieces
2 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (more if desired for garnish)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, marjoram, chives, mint

Steps:

  • Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Fill a bowl with ice water. When the water comes to a boil, add salt to taste and the greens. Blanch for two minutes, and transfer to the ice water. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Chop coarsely and set aside.
  • Bring the water back to a boil, and add the farro. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, stirring from time to time, or until the farro is tender. Remove from the heat and allow the grains to swell in the cooking water for 10 minutes, then drain.
  • While the farro is cooking, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the vinegars, salt, garlic and mustard. Whisk in the oil(s). Add to the farro. Peel and dice the beets and add, along with the beet greens, feta or goat cheese, herbs and walnuts. Toss together, and serve warm or room temperature with a little more cheese sprinkled over the top if you wish.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 214, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 17 grams, Fat 15 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 141 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams

FARRO AND MUSHROOM GRATIN



Farro and Mushroom Gratin image

In this elegant gratin, nutty farro and earthy mushrooms are baked with herbs and mascarpone into a creamy casserole topped with Gruyère. It's a rich, meatless meal that needs nothing more than a crisp green salad to round it out, though it's also a satisfying side dish alongside roast chicken or fish. You can prepare the entire gratin earlier in the day (leave it at room temperature), then bake it just before serving - simply add a little extra time to ensure that it emerges from the oven steaming hot through and through. Note that if you're using tangy crème fraîche instead of mascarpone, you may not need the lemon. Taste before squeezing.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Time 45m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 10

Salt and black pepper
1 1/2 cups pearled or semi-pearled farro
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
1 pound mixed mushrooms (such as oyster, maitake, portobello, shiitake or cremini), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
6 to 8 fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup thinly sliced shallots, leeks or onion
1 cup mascarpone or crème fraîche
1 cup chopped parsley leaves and tender stems, chives, mint or cilantro
8 ounces shredded Gruyère (about 1 2/3 cups)
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a medium pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
  • Add farro to the pot, and cook according to package directions until tender (which should be about 20 to 30 minutes). Drain well in a colander. While still warm (and leaving the farro in the colander, if you like), drizzle the grains with enough olive oil to coat lightly, tossing well to prevent from sticking. Set aside.
  • While farro is cooking, prepare the mushrooms: In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high until hot but not smoking. Add enough of the mushrooms to cover the skillet in one layer without crowding and half the thyme. Cook, undisturbed, until bottoms of the mushrooms are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir and let brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms and thyme to a plate, and season with salt and pepper. Add another 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and repeat with another layer of mushrooms and thyme, adding them to the plate when done. Repeat with any more mushrooms if necessary.
  • Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and stir in shallots and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté until tender and golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Remove skillet from heat and return mushrooms to the pan (discarding the thyme sprigs). Stir in farro, mascarpone and 3/4 cup parsley. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Spread mixture evenly in the skillet and sprinkle Gruyère on top. Bake until the farro is hot and Gruyère is melted, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn on broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes until Gruyère starts to bubble and develop brown spots.
  • Sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing on top, if you'd like.

Related Topics